Unless otherwise indicated herein, the elements described in this section are not prior art to the claims and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Currently the standard for discovering damage in a vehicle relies on human visual analysis, which is inherently flawed. The present invention controls for light and uses know characteristics of reflection to enable the detection of dents or deformities as small as 4-5 mm, for example. By using high definition cameras the system may provide an effective zoom function to differentiate between a smear of dirt, for example, and an actual scratch. The system may also be able to clearly identify damage to automobile wheels, windshields, and other areas.
Other existing solutions include an application for tablet devices that requires an employee to walk around the vehicle to record video. Such methods are not ideal, as small and even medium sized damage is difficult to photograph even when one knows what to photograph or record, much less when the user is attempting to discover unknown damage. Another suggested solution involves an array of digital cameras to be installed in the doorway of an existing building. This solution does not control for light nor does it account for variables like multiple cars where one may be blocking the other, or people or other obstructions.
Thus, there remains a need for a cost effective, flexible and powerful system and method for detecting damage on a vehicle.